Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpripicom’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpripicom’ characterized by its compact and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; strong stems that resist breakage; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with red purple-colored flower bracts; good post-production longevity; and relative tolerance to low production temperatures.

Botanical Designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPRIPICOM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonpripicom’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new interspecific Euphorbia cultivars having compact and mounding plant habit, strong branches that resist breakage, flower bracts with desirable coloration and low temperature tolerance.

The new Euphorbia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 2002 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number 83, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with an unnamed proprietary selection of Euphorbia cornastra, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in August, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since February, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpripicom’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpripicom’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia:

-   -   1. Compact and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Strong stems that resist breakage.     -   5. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   6. Inflorescences with red purple-colored flower bracts.     -   7. Good post-production longevity.     -   8. Relatively tolerant to low production temperatures.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia were more compact than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia and the female parent selection         differed in flower bract color as plants of the female parent         selection had red-colored flower bracts.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia were more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia and the male parent selection         differed in flower bract color as plants of the male parent         selection had white-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Eckcory’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,849. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Euphorbia differed from plants of ‘Eckcory’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia were shorter than plants of         ‘Eckcory’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia had broader leaves than plants of         ‘Eckcory’.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia had more flower         bracts than inflorescences of plants of ‘Eckcory’.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia had longer and         broader flower bracts than inflorescences of plants of         ‘Eckcory’.     -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia had         darker-colored flower bracts than inflorescences of plants of         ‘Eckcory’.     -   6. Inflorescences of plants of the new Euphorbia had more         cyathia than inflorescences of plants of ‘Eckcory’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpripicom’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonpripicom’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and the following observations and measurements describe plants grown in containers in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan during the autumn in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 2001, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex     Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpripicom’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number 83,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Euphorbia cornastra, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at 20° C. to             25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at 15° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 16.6 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 23.8 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about four lateral branches develop per plant;             pinching is typically not required. Length: About 10.2 cm.             Diameter: About 2.9 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             146B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 9.5 cm. Width: About 5.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing leaves,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 141B tinted with close to             N58C. Fully expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 137A to 137B; venation, close to 145C. Petiole: Length:             About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 145B tinted with close to 200C. Color, lower             surface: Close to 145B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliage.         -   Quantity of inflorescence.—One inflorescence develops per             lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan; inflorescence             initiation and development can also be induced under             artificial long nyctoperiod/short photoperiod conditions.             Early flowering habit, plants flower about 50 days under             natural season conditions in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and             bract color for about seven weeks.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length,             largest bracts: About 7.3 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             3.3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Aspect: Close to perpendicular to the stem axis. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Developing or             transitional bracts, upper surface: Close to N57A; towards             the margins, close to 69B. Developing or transitional             bracts, lower surface: Close to N57D. Fully expanded bracts,             upper surface: Close to N57C; towards the margins, close to             69B; venation, close to 186A to 186D. Fully expanded bracts,             lower surface: Close to N57D; venation, close to 145B to             145D. Flower bract petiole: Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter:             About 1.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 18. Diameter of cyathia             cluster: About 2 cm. Length, individual cyathium: About             5.3 mm. Width, individual cyathium: About 6.2 mm. Shape,             individual cyathium: Globose. Color: Close to 146B.             Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: One. Size: About 3.8 mm by             2 mm. Color: Close to 151B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: Few.             Anther shape: Lanceolate or globose. Anther length: About 1             mm to 10 mm. Anther color: Close to 187B. Amount of pollen:             Scarce. Pistils: Plants of the new Euphorbia do not develop             pistils.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about     40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpripicom’ as illustrated and described. 